THE ALPHA'S FORBIDDEN MATE

Chapter six: The buried trut

The Great Hall smelled of blood.

Seraphina stood motionless in the middle of the chaos, staring at Kael.

His words repeated themselves in her mind.

I took your mother.

Twenty years.

Twenty years of believing her mother had died giving birth to her.

Twenty years of having no face to remember, no voice to recall, no grave to visit.

And Kael had known.

He had known all along.

"Where is she?"

Her voice was barely a whisper.

Kael didn't answer.

Seraphina stepped toward him.

"Where is my mother?"

"Seraphina—"

"Don't."

Her eyes filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall.

"You don't get to say my name like you care about me."

His jaw tightened.

"I never said I didn't."

"You lied to me."

"I withheld information."

"That's the same thing!"

The entire hall had gone silent.

Warriors stood watching them.

Even Rhea looked away.

Seraphina's voice broke.

"Is she alive?"

Kael stared at her.

Then he said the words that shattered everything she thought she knew.

"Yes."

Seraphina stopped breathing.

Her knees almost gave way.

"She's alive?"

Kael nodded.

"Where?"

"I don't know."

A bitter laugh escaped her.

"Of course."

"I haven't seen her in twenty years."

"Then how do you know she's alive?"

Kael hesitated.

"Because I was the one who helped her escape."

Seraphina stared at him.

"What?"

Before Kael could explain, a wounded warrior stumbled toward them.

"Alpha!"

Kael turned.

The warrior fell to one knee.

"The attackers are retreating."

"How many?"

"Most of them."

"Most?"

The warrior swallowed.

"One is still alive."

Kael's gaze shifted toward the far side of the hall.

The masked man.

He was pinned beneath a fallen beam, his silver mask cracked.

Kael walked toward him.

Seraphina followed.

The man laughed when he saw her.

"Finally."

Kael grabbed him by the throat.

"Who sent you?"

The man smiled.

"You know who."

"Who?"

"The Moon."

Kael tightened his grip.

"Don't play games with me."

The man's eyes moved toward Seraphina.

"She has already heard it, hasn't she?"

Kael froze.

Seraphina frowned.

"Heard what?"

The man smiled.

"The voice."

Kael's eyes snapped toward her.

Seraphina said nothing.

The man laughed.

"She doesn't understand yet."

"Understand what?" Seraphina demanded.

"The Hollow Moon isn't calling her."

His smile widened.

"She's calling it."

Silence.

Kael's grip loosened slightly.

The man's expression became almost reverent.

"Your blood is the key, little Moonblood."

Seraphina felt the mark on her wrist burn.

"You keep calling me that."

"Because that's what you are."

"What does it mean?"

The man looked at Kael.

"Ask him."

Seraphina's eyes narrowed.

"Tell me."

The masked man chuckled.

"Your mother asked the same questions."

Seraphina stepped closer.

"What happened to her?"

His smile disappeared.

"She tried to destroy the Hollow Moon."

Seraphina's heart pounded.

"And did she?"

"No."

He looked directly into her eyes.

"She sacrificed herself to hide you."

Seraphina's breath caught.

"From who?"

The man's answer was barely a whisper.

"From your father."

The hall seemed to tilt.

"My father?"

She had never been told anything about him.

Not his name.

Not his face.

Nothing.

"Who is my father?"

The man began laughing.

Kael suddenly looked alarmed.

"Seraphina, step back."

She ignored him.

"Who is my father?"

The man's laughter became louder.

"Your father is—"

A silver blade flew through the air.

It struck him in the chest.

He went still.

Seraphina screamed.

Kael turned sharply.

At the entrance stood a warrior.

Rhea.

She held the sword.

Seraphina stared at her in disbelief.

"What did you do?"

Rhea's face was expressionless.

"He knew too much."

"You killed him!"

"He was going to lie to you."

"You don't know that!"

Rhea's gaze hardened.

"You shouldn't trust anyone who comes from the Hollow Moon."

Seraphina looked at Kael.

"Does she work for you?"

"Yes."

"Then why did she kill him before he could tell me who my father is?"

Kael's eyes darkened.

"Rhea."

The woman lowered her head.

"Alpha."

"Leave us."

Rhea hesitated.

"Now."

She turned and walked away.

Seraphina watched her disappear through the doors.

Then she faced Kael.

"You knew."

"No."

"You knew something."

"Not enough."

"You always say that."

Kael ran a hand through his hair.

For the first time, he looked exhausted.

"I don't know who your father is."

"Do you know who he was?"

Kael was silent.

That was answer enough.

Seraphina's voice became quieter.

"Who was he?"

Kael looked at her.

"I think he was a king."

Her eyes widened.

"What kind of king?"

"Not a werewolf king."

The silence between them grew heavier.

"A human king?"

Kael shook his head.

"No."

"Then what?"

His eyes met hers.

"The first Alpha."

Seraphina stared.

"The first..."

"The one who existed before packs had names. Before the Moon Goddess gave wolves their laws."

She shook her head.

"That doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't have to."

Kael stepped closer.

"Your father may not be dead."

Seraphina's heart stopped.

"You said you didn't know who he was."

"I don't."

"Then how do you know he's alive?"

"I don't."

Her eyes filled with frustration.

"You're impossible."

"I know."

She turned away.

Kael reached for her.

She pulled her hand back.

"Don't touch me."

His hand dropped.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Then Kael said quietly,

"I took your mother because I was ordered to kill her."

Seraphina slowly turned.

"By who?"

"My father."

She stared at him.

"Your father?"

Kael nodded.

"He was Alpha before me."

"What happened?"

"He believed your mother's bloodline would destroy the packs."

"And you believed him?"

"I was seventeen."

Seraphina's anger faltered.

Kael looked toward the broken windows.

"I found your mother in the forest."

His voice became distant.

"She was injured. You were a baby."

Seraphina's lips parted.

"You saw me?"

"Yes."

"What did you do?"

"I was supposed to kill both of you."

Her blood ran cold.

"But I couldn't."

Kael's gaze returned to hers.

"So I hid her."

"Where?"

"I took her to an old sanctuary beyond Nightfang territory."

"Then why didn't she come back for me?"

Kael's expression changed.

"Because she couldn't."

"Why?"

"Because the sanctuary was attacked."

Seraphina's heart sank.

"By who?"

"The Hollow Moon."

She closed her eyes.

"Did she survive?"

"I don't know."

"But you just told me she's alive."

"I told you what I believed."

Seraphina opened her eyes.

"That's not good enough."

"I know."

She stepped closer.

"You've had twenty years to find her."

"I did."

"Then why didn't you?"

Kael's expression became haunted.

"Because every person I sent to look for her died."

Seraphina went silent.

Kael lowered his voice.

"The last one came back alive."

"What did he say?"

"He said your mother wasn't hiding from us."

"Then who was she hiding from?"

Kael looked directly into her eyes.

"You."

Seraphina frowned.

"Me?"

"She was hiding you from the person who wanted your blood."

"Who?"

Kael's eyes darkened.

"The first Alpha."

A cold shiver ran through her.

"You said he was my father."

"I said I think he was."

"Why would my father want to kill me?"

Kael didn't answer.

Instead, he looked at her wrist.

The silver mark was glowing again.

Seraphina looked down.

The crescent had changed.

A second symbol had appeared beneath it.

Three tiny black lines.

Kael's face went pale.

"What?"

He whispered the word.

"What is it?"

He didn't respond.

"Kael."

He took a step backward.

"That's impossible."

"What?"

He stared at the mark.

"Your mother didn't have that."

Seraphina's stomach tightened.

"Then who did?"

Kael looked at her.

His voice was barely audible.

"Your father."

The mark suddenly burned.

Seraphina screamed.

The room disappeared.

She was standing somewhere else.

A vast black forest stretched before her.

A man stood beneath a blood-red moon.

She couldn't see his face.

But she knew him.

She felt it in her bones.

He turned toward her.

And smiled.

"Seraphina."

She froze.

The voice was familiar.

Not from her dreams.

From somewhere deeper.

Somewhere older.

He raised one hand.

The wolves around him bowed.

Then he whispered:

"Come home, daughter."

Seraphina's eyes flew open.

She was back in the Great Hall.

Kael was holding her shoulders.

"Seraphina!"

She stared at him.

Tears ran down her cheeks.

"I saw him."

Kael went still.

"Who?"

"My father."

His expression changed.

"What did he say?"

Seraphina swallowed.

She looked toward the broken doors.

"He told me to come home."

Outside, the wolves began howling.

One by one.

Until the entire mountain was filled with their voices.

And somewhere far beyond Nightfang territory, a man opened his eyes.

For the first time in twenty years.

He smiled.

His daughter had awakened.